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Protecting dairy industry

4 0
07.05.2025

Prime Minister Mark Carney is no Justin Trudeau. While the team around him may be familiar, the tone has clearly shifted. His first week in office signaled a more data-driven, technocratic approach — grounded in pragmatism rather than ideology.

That’s welcome news, especially for Canada’s agri-food sector, which has long been overlooked.

Historically, the Liberal Party has governed with an urban-centric lens, often sidelining agriculture. That must change. Carney’s pledge to eliminate all interprovincial trade barriers by July 1 was encouraging — but whether this includes long-standing obstacles in the agri-food sector remains to be seen. Supply-managed sectors, particularly dairy, remain heavily protected by a tangle of provincially administered quotas that limit flexibility, stifle innovation, and restrict national productivity.

Consider dairy. Quebec produces nearly 40% of Canada’s milk, despite accounting for just over 20% of the population. This regional imbalance undermines one of supply management’s original........

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